Madison Earns Another Year

Mitch Dobbs

12/29/2004

Alabama defensive back Anthony Madison is listed in Alabama's bowl guide as a senior, but much like Anthony Bryant a year ago, Anthony Madison can graduate by August to earn another year of eligibility. The Thomasville native won't be cutting it close.

The three hours Madison lacks in order to complete requirements for a marketing degree are equivalent to one class in the spring semester. When Madison completes his finance class this spring he will have achieved a major goal of his collegiate career.

"The first day I came up here one of my main goals was to make sure that I graduated early so that I could get that extra year back," he said. "I could have had it done in December, but I decided to take one class in spring because of the season."

Madison said remaining in Tuscaloosa in the summers was the key to earning his degree. Madison said he uses his story as an aide to the Tide's younger players.

"I tell them all the time the key is getting off to a great start and not having to drop a whole lot of classes. Once you start dropping classes you set yourself back," he said. "You've got people around here to help. Anybody could do it. It's all about putting in the time.

"It doesn't take the brightest person in the world. It just takes a person that's willing to put in the time and the effort. When you get a person to do that athletic and academically you can do anything."

Madison said he looked at Charlie Peprah, his classmate entering Alabama, as a guide in his academic career. Peprah graduated in December, a semester ahead of schedule.

"Charlie is a bright individual, man," Madison said. "I just kind of looked at Charlie and I'm like ‘I'm just going to monitor him and watch him.' And he did it in three and a half years. I was like if he can do it I can do it."

"If you come in with the mindset that ‘hey, I come in here to win ball games and I come in here to get my degree,' and you set a timetable for it and put in the effort and the time you can do it," Madison said. "That's what I did and anybody else can do it, too."